Fish Heads and Duck Skin: A Novel

Tina Martin, a zany, overworked mother of two, moves her family to Shanghai on the advice of a five-dollar psychic. She becomes a fish out of water, doing wacky things like stealing shoes and spraying local women with a bidet hose. The friendship of an elderly tai chi instructor, a hot Mandarin tutor, and several mah-jongg-tile-slinging expats helps her to find her self and the dream job she never knew existed.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 20 July 2021
Publisher: She Writes Press

Tina Martin, a zany and overworked mother of two, follows the advice of a five-dollar psychic and decides to quit her high-powered job and move her family to Shanghai. She yearns for this new setting to bring her the zen-like inner peace she has always heard about on infomercials. However, she quickly becomes a fish out of water, engaging in wacky actions such as stealing the shoes of a shifty delivery man, spraying local women with a bidet hose, and contemplating the murder of her new pet cricket.

Despite her struggles, Tina is befriended by an elderly tai chi instructor, a hot Mandarin tutor, and several mah-jongg-tile-slinging expats. Through their friendship, Tina begins to understand the culture she doesn't understand, discovers the dream job she never knew existed, and finds the self she has always sought.

Fish Heads and Duck Skin is a relatable story for anyone who has ever wondered who they are, why they were put here, and how they ever lived before eating pan-fried pork buns. The novel explores themes of identity, purpose, and cultural assimilation, and offers a humorous and heartwarming perspective on the challenges of living in a foreign country.

Weight: 434g
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781647421281